The Bug
by Vdysa
Summary: A reveal story. Lois/Clark/Bruce.
1. Chapter 1: New Enemy

The Bug – A Superman Returns FanFic

By Claudia Silva

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Superman.

Note: I love reveals and I had this idea about Lois bugging Clark to spy on him and she hears a conversation she shouldn't have. The thing is I don't know anything about surveillance or how it works, so if you are going to enjoy this story just accept what you're reading (use your imagination) and enjoy. I had a lot of fun with this one because I wanted so much to write about Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent together.

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Chapter 1 – New Enemy

"I'm telling you, Lane," Perry White looked out his window through the half-closed blinds, "the rate he's going, he'll probably win the next Pulitzer."

Lois rested her head on her closed fists as she heard her boss rant about Clark Kent. She rolled her eyes and stood up to confront him, her hands now on the table before her. "Oh, come on, Perry." She said, "It's Clark! Do you honestly believe he's the best you've got?"

Perry turned around, a smile painted on his face. "I'm telling you kiddo, he's turned in more articles about this New Krypton issue than anyone on the Planet. And it's only been a week since Superman threw that thing into space." He then took a copy of the evening edition of the Daily Planet in front of Lois. "Three front cover stories in a week, Lois, now _that's _what I call a good reporter."

Lois shrugged it off, "Yeah, but have you _read_ the articles?" She asked him.

"Have _you_?" He returned her question. "I don't know how the guy does it. He's been gone for five years and, when he comes back; all his sources seem to be intact. Like they have been waiting for him to come back."

"_What_ sources?" Lois turned around; the new glass that now surrounded Perry white was so clear she almost forgot it was there. She looked at Clark's desk, which was currently empty. _You bastard,_ she thought to herself, assuming her ex-partner was out fishing for the next Pulitzer, like Perry had suggested.

"Beats me," Perry said, "I really don't care as long as he keeps writing this great stuff… and about _Superman_ to boot! It's almost like he knows what he's thinking!"

Lois didn't look happy about that last remark. If there was someone who should know what Superman was thinking, it had to be Lois Lane, right? But no, after The Man of Steel had visited Jason a week ago, she hadn't really seen much of him. She was wondering if it had been a mistake to spill the beans about Jason's true parentage.

She sighed, not knowing how to win the battle and she _hated_ not being able to win the battle. "I have to go pick up Jason."

"It's not yet two o'clock." Perry stated.

Lois knew Jason wouldn't be released for school for another hour, just like her boss did. "Yeah." She said absentmindedly, "I've got some errands to run."

She had only stopped for her purse before heading to the elevator. Without even a glance at Richard, Lois pushed the button and waited. There was only one thing to be done and she would do it. She would use the last resource.

The elevator opened to the parking lot under the Daily Planet's building. Lois walked straight to the car she co-owned with Richard White and pressed the button for the trunk to open. While it seemed like she was looking to find the spare tire, she instead produced a small leather bag from the inside of the trunk.

"Still here." She muttered to herself.

Hesitating, she took the bag and locked herself inside the car. Once inside, she opened the bag. From it, something that looked like a tiny, thin cell phone and an earpiece appeared.

She examined them for a while, wondering… _hoping_ the thing still worked. The image of her old boyfriend, the one that had built the thing while still in college, the one from whom she had _stolen_ it, came to mind. But she dismissed the image quickly; there was no time for that.

If the thing worked and she managed to successfully bug Clark Kent, then she was sure she would be able to find his sources and steal them from him. There was no way a farm boy from Kansas would continue to still her thunder much longer.

There was only one minor flaw with her plan, of course. It was illegal… and unethical… and unprofessional… and… She shrugged off the thought. It was _necessary_, Clark Kent had _made _her take drastic action, hadn't he? And hadn't she uncovered the truth behind the pharmaceutical money laundry scheme thanks to it when she first started her career as a journalist?

It had helped her gain the credibility she had today and there wasn't any possible way that Clark Kent would steal that from her, too. Besides, what could Clark _do_ to her if he found out? He wouldn't _even _find out, she was smarter than he was.

All she had to do was place the tiny phone in his jacket's pocket and then retrieve it in maybe two or three days. She was certain she would learn what she wanted quickly. It was settled, then. Clark would carry her bug and after a few days, when he ran to the restroom or to lunch or wherever he disappeared to every now and then, leaving his jacket behind, she would take the bug right back. No one would even know.

_Right? It was easy, right?_

"Here goes nothing." She said to herself, packing the tiny device in her purse and exiting the car.

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2: The Bug

Chapter 2 – The Bug

Like a sign from God, when the elevator opened to show the newsroom, the first person Lois spotted, was Clark Kent. He appeared to be writing frantically on his keyboard, his eyes glued to the screen.

"Lois?" The voice startled her more than she had wanted. It was Richard, her fiancée. "What are you doing here? Jason's out in fifteen minutes. I thought you'd left already. Do you want me to go pick him up?"

"Uh?" She swallowed hard, "Uhm, no. No, Richard. I got it. I just forgot to tell Clark something about… about a source of mine and I just…" She looked at Richard's eyes and smiled. "Don't worry; I won't be late this time, ok?"

"You okay?" Richard asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Fine. Just fine." Lois said, "Just a lot of things on my mind… with New Krypton and everything."

"Are you sure?" He asked now, "I could go pick him up if you want."

"No. I won't be but a minute and I'll be gone. Promise."

She leaned over to kiss his lips quickly and headed to Clark's desk. The chip was in her hand now, and she had turned it on. And it would stay on, like a little cell phone that never hung up.

She took the phone between her fingers and casually leaned over Clark.

"Hey, Clark." Lois said, acting as if they were still the best friends from before he'd left. "Whatcha doing?"

Clark turned around slowly. He was frowning and he looked confused. It took him a moment to take a breath.

"Me? What… am _I_ doing?" He asked like he didn't believe that Lois Lane was talking directly to him.

"Yeah," She leaned on his desk like she hadn't noticed how awkward he felt, "You know, I've seen you around since you've been back and I've been so busy I don't think we've crossed paths more than once or twice."

"We… haven't." His voice was still hesitant.

"So," she motioned to the screen. "another big story?"

"Uhm, no." He turned away now, "Not really, no."

She forced a comforting smile. "Well, if you ever need anything, let me know, ok?"

She patted his shoulder, at the same time squeezing her hand into his jacket's pocket, dropping the tiny device inside.

"All right." Clark said starting to smile, "T-Thanks, Lois. I'll keep that in mind."

"Sure, Clark." Without saying anymore, she turned around, throwing her hair intentionally in his direction.

Lois was shaking when she got into the elevator, ready to leave. She had successfully completed her mission. She was now officially spying on Clark Kent! It now made her realize, that of all people, it had been _Clark_ who had deserved her full attention. Who would have thought?

Even when they had been good friends before he left, so much had happened in her life after Superman returned that she really hadn't had the time to think about her ex-partner. But now she had crossed the point of no return, the betrayal of trust had begun.

Once in the car, she shrugged those feelings aside as she took the ear piece from her purse using her thumb and index finger to put it on. Immediately, she heard static. Then, she recognized the sound of a phone ringing. She adjusted the small earpiece using the controls at the end of the spiraling cord and got rid of the noise.

More sounds from the newsroom. Then, in the background, she finally identified Clark's fast typing. Too fast, perhaps? Did he really have a Pulitzer Prize story he had just refused to share with her? She really envied him, knowing she shouldn't. But he wouldn't win the fight that easily. No, she was now playing dirty, and she didn't see any other way.

The typing stopped. She heard Clark dialing a number and then waiting.

"Hey, mom." She heard Clark say. _Come _on_, Smallville, get a life! _Lois thought. "I guess I'll take that rain check today, what do you think? Are you free tonight?" _What? What rain check? Didn't his mother live in Smallville, Kansas? _But, it had been so long since she'd talked to him that she really didn't know, did she? "Oh, I didn't know." Clark said suddenly, sounding a little down. "Yes, yes. Don't worry about it. I just forgot it was Bingo night, ok?" He waited. "I love you, too. Tell Ben I said hi." Then, "I gotta go, mom, something's come up. Bye."

She heard as he hung up suddenly, heard his chair moving on the floor and then his walking. After that, she heard the elevator opening and closing.

_Gotcha, Kent!_ She thought to herself. _Who are you meeting now?_

But, on the other end she heard…. _Nothing. _Absolutely _nothing._

"Hey!" She protested out loud, tapping the earpiece gently. "What the…?"

She took the thing off and cursed at it.

Looking around the parking lot she made sure no one was around to see her.

Lois tried to control herself. Nervous and a little angry, she turned on the engine and muttered to herself. "Just drive, Lois."

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3: Over Beers

Chapter 3 – Over Beers

When she got home, she was still upset. After having picked Jason up, she had taken them straight home. Without saying much, she guided Jason to the house.

"Are you angry at me, mommy?" Jason asked her as he put his backpack in the kitchen.

"It's just work, honey. You haven't done anything wrong, ok?" She knew she would have to calm down or else she would take Jason down with her. It was one of the perks of being a mom. Sometimes, when she had a bad day, either at work or with Richard, she had to pretend everything was all right for Jason's sake. Doctors, people, books and magazines in general had warned her about the side-effects a negative experience could have on a child Jason's age. All of which reminded her of the yacht event.

Lois couldn't stop staring at Jason lately, though. For the first time she started seeing him as Superman's son. Yes, she had been sure before since there had been no one else. There had even been episodes, but after the scene in Luthor's yacht it had been definite. There was no turning back now. Even when she had dreamt of Superman's return, part of her wished he _hadn't_ returned.

She had lived a long time telling people lies. Two, specifically. The first one was that she didn't miss Superman at all. She had even written that damned article about not needing him. The other one was convincing everybody at the office that Jason was really _Richard's_ son; explaining that he had been born premature, to cover up for the inconsistencies.

She didn't know which one was worse. Yes, deep inside she knew she had missed Superman every single day and hated him for leaving without saying good-bye. He had deserved at least _that!_ But on the other hand, she had made another man believe he had a son, when in reality wasn't true.

Yep, it was certain she would go to hell. Unless she was living in it now, of course.

And yet, there wasn't much she could do about her life except make sure her son was happy. Lois looked at the clock and read the time. Remembering, she was grateful it was Richard's turn to pick up take-out. They had a routine, which they had worked on for years.

As she did what she usually did, Lois was thoughtful the whole time, thinking about what Perry had said and wondering if the times of Mad Dog Lane had finally come to an end. In a way, she felt defeated, and hated being so tired it was hard to feel defeated.

She wondered if Richard had felt her distant at all.

"I'm going to bed." He said; kissing the top of her head as she sat in front of her laptop, hand on the keyboard. It seemed all she did lately, stare at the blank screen. "Will you be coming up soon?"

"Probably." She replied dryly, feeling Richard nodding, but not turning to look at him. Not even when he pressed his hand on her shoulder as he left her alone.

She sat there motionless, trying to at least think on a title for her next article, but couldn't get his mind off Clark Kent. It bothered her that it wasn't Superman she was thinking off and hated Clark in a bizarre way for being so… _efficient_, so good at his job. Where had he gone that had turned him into such a good reporter?

Lois turned to her purse, which lay only a few feet from her, and reached for the headpiece she thought was broken. She held it in front of her and sighed. Without thinking it, she put it back in her ear, probably just to see if it was still giving off static.

"_-er a chance… she's got a lot on her mind, you know?"_ It was working! And she recognized the voice, too! Now, who was that talking?

"_I guess." _Clark said, she recognized him immediately.

"_Well, CK. I gotta go. But see ya, tomorrow, ok?" _It was Jimmy. "_And we should do this again."_

_"Sure, Jimmy."_ Clark didn't sound as chirpy as he usually sounded, his voice was lower, his words came out slower and he sounded almost sad. "_See you, tomorrow."_

There was silence then, and Lois quickly went to the door to lock herself inside the office. She doubted Richard would come in, but she didn't want to be surprised doing something she felt ashamed of in the first place. She reminded herself that she was spying on her co-worker and felt guilty.

Instead of just asking him about his sources… No, she had decided to cheat and try to figure it out by herself by listening to private conversations.

"_Another one, sir?" _Asked a man, who she assumed was the bartender.

"_Sure, why not?"_ Clark said. Who knew Clark Kent drank so much… beer? Or, maybe it was just orange juice, who knew. The important thing was that he was still in that place, almost as if he were waiting for someone. Maybe it was that big source she had been waiting to meet. Or _any_ source, at this point she didn't care.

She heard a heavy glass being dropped in front of him. _Now, what are you going to do, Kent? How are you going to steal the next Superman story from me, uh?_

Almost as if it was meant for her, Clark sighed and said, "_What are you doing here?"_

Lois almost wet her skirt. The moment of truth. But it had sounded like he wasn't expecting the voice that said: "_Hello, Clark."_

It was a man. A confident man who sounded like he had authority. His voice was vaguely familiar, but she just couldn't put her finger on it. Quickly, Lois started searching for a possible voice-match with her other office co-workers. But no, she couldn't put the voice together with a face.

"_Hey."_ Clark replied, not calling his _friend_ by his name; something Lois had wanted. The stranger pulled a chair over and sat down.

"_You must be wondering why I'm here."_ The man said.

"_How _detective_ of you, I just _asked_ you what you were doing here."_ Clark said.

But the stranger chuckled. "_Oh, come on." _He said, "_Being absent for so long surely took away your cheery sense of humor, Kent. I'm the one who's supposed to be all dark and moody, aren't I? Doesn't suit you."_

Once again, Clark sighed. "_Not in the mood today, Bruce._" Bruce? _"My week hasn't been exactly… pleasant."_

_"Right. I heard about what happened… all about, what do you call it? _New Krypton_?"_

_"That's how _Lois_ called it."_ Clark chuckled. _"Not very imaginative, is it?"_

On the other end, Lois muttered: "I didn't see _you_ name it, uh, Smallville?"

_"Well," _Bruce said, "_back in Gotham news travel fast. Especially about Superman. You know, his return has been interesting, don't you think?"_ Bruce from Gotham… Gotham? Did she know anybody named Bruce in Gotham City?

_"Why? Didn't you read that the world doesn't need him?"_

_"Relax, Clark… that article was written from the point of view of a woman scorned."_

Inside, Lois felt anger. What business was it of Bruce from Gotham, anyway? How could he make statements such as those to a man that had nothing to do with her relationship with the Man of Steel?

Who was this Bruce, anyway? She had never known any of Clark's friends. Especially not from Gotham. If any, she figured his friends would be farmers from Smallville.

"_Scorned? I don't see why a good-bye is such a big deal... and for the record, I _did_ say good-bye and she didn't even look my way." _Clark said, surprising Lois. _"I'm sure billionares don't have those kinds of problems."_

_"Hey, I'm not saying I'm a saint, but I treat women… they way they like."_ Billionare?

"_And I don't?"_

_"But we're not talking about _you_, are we? We're talking about Superman, the man who had a _formal _relationship with Lois Lane?"_

How in the world did this man knew so much about her life? Why was he even discussing her life with Clark Kent? What was going on? What else did this man or Clark knew about Superman? Or _her_? Did they know about _Jason_?

_"Just forget it, ok?" _Clark told him. "_Why are you here, anyway? Don't they miss the important Bruce Wayne back home?"_

Bruce Wayne!? Lois heart started racing. Clark Kent was friends with Bruce Wayne? When? How?

"_Why are you so eager to get rid of me?"_

_"Don't tell me, then."_ Clark dismissed him. Lois had never heard Clark talk this way. Not with a powerful man like Bruce Wayne, particularly. He talked to him like he was his best friend. Almost like a brother.

"_I came to check in on you. Since you have never _dropped_ in to visit since you came back. I felt lonely."_

_"Give me a break. I had my hands full here and you know it. Don't you read the news, Mr. Wayne? I thought you had people who made it their business to keep you informed."_

Bruce waited, after a while, he said. "_All right. As hard as it is to accept, I was genuinely worried about you, ok? After you got out of the hospital I've been thinking about your return," _Clark was in a hospital? But when? Why hadn't Lois heard anything about that?_ "I just wanted to check in on you, make sure you have a decent place to live. Stuff like that."  
"Right. You don't need to talk to me for that, I bet you already know."_ Clark told him.

"_True." _Bruce said, "_But it's more fun this way."_ He said, "_You know, our lives are a lot alike and I thought maybe you needed somebody to talk to, man to man."_

Just how alike could the lives of mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent, from Smallville, Kansas, be the same as playboy-billionare Bruce Wayne, from Gotham City? Lois couldn't figure that out.

_"That's very nice of you, Bruce."_ Clark said, _"But I doubt you left Gotham unprotected tonight because you wanted to _bond_?"_

_"Of course I did, buddy!"_ Lois heard Bruce hit Clark's arm. "_But if you want to know the truth, these last editions of the Daily Planet have been a little… worrisome."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because since when does Clark Kent have the front page three times a week?"_

_"I think I'm a good writer. I've _had_ front pages published before."_

_"No, Clark. You _and_ Lois have had front page stories before. Clark Kent by himself, has always been… well, not very much by himself."_

_"That's not true."_ Clark defended himself, a little upset.

_"Oh, come on, Clark." _Bruce said, _"Weren't you the one that once explained to me how Clark Kent needed to stay in the background? Clark Kent couldn't be famous? Clark Kent couldn't have _Lois Lane_?"_

_"Stop it, you know what I meant?" _Clark said. _"You know Lois had a choice and she chose Superman. It wasn't _my_ choice, it was hers."_

_"And I didn't see you move a finger to win her back."_

_"She wanted _Superman_, what was _I _supposed to do?" _Clark had raised his voice for that one.

_"I don't know. Show her the _real_ Clark?"_ Bruce suggested. _"How can she really make a choice if she doesn't even know her options?"_

Lois was enthralled by what she was hearing. She had always known that Clark had had a crush on her before he left on his long trip, but she had never known he had competed so fervently against Superman. The weird part of it was… what did Bruce Wayne mean when he suggested she didn't know the _real_ Clark? What other Clark _was _there to know? Was the Clark Bruce Wayne considered his friend different from the one she had once considered her partner?

_"It doesn't matter now. She has a son." _Clark muttered. Then it sounded like he took several gulps of his drink.

_"I've heard about that, too." _Bruce added, _"And by the way… this Jason Lane… he looks remarkably like…"_

_"You know who his father is. Don't pretend you don't."_ Clark said suddenly, making Lois panic. What did he know about Jason, exactly? Who did Clark think Jason's father was? Who was he talking about… Richard?

_"I've always known. Too bad you weren't around to… you know. Doesn't Jason's paternity tell you something?" _Bruce added.

_"What can it tell me? He thinks Richard is his real dad."_

_"So? We both know he's not."_

They _both _know? Oh my God! What else did Clark Kent know about her personal life? Were these two stalking her? What the hell?

_"But, she…" _Clark began, _"How can I…?I mean… she doesn't even _look_ at me, Bruce. And I don't even know what to do with myself around her. I can't face her, not after all that's happened. She's worse than kryptonite!"_

Kryptonite?

_"And I thought you were a boy-scout. Always doing the right thing."_ Bruce said; Lois imagined his disappointed face. She was starting to be disappointed in Clark, too. _"Just tell her the truth. She deserves it."_

What truth?

_"No."_

_What_ truth?

_"You know it's the right thing to do."_

What truth!?

_"No."_ Clark repeated.

Lois stood up from her chair in front of the desk. She stared at the blank computer in front of her now, not knowing what to think. What was Clark Kent keeping from her? How did his "best" friend Bruce Wayne know about it? What was happening in the world?

_"I actually _know_ Richard White, you know?"_ Bruce said now, _"Nice guy. Down to Earth."_

_"Exactly."_ Clark said, _"See, that's the problem. I left, so I can't be the one to end a good thing."_

_"What good thing?" _Bruce said, _"Do you know that Lois actually told the guy that Jason was his own son? Who _does_ that? The relationship is doomed to fail right there. At least she's always been truthful to _you_."_

"Oh, my God." As she let out the words, Lois' world started falling to pieces.

_"So what? Maybe that's how it's meant to be." _Clark said.

_"A relationship full of lies."_ Bruce added. _"It could never work."_

_"Sure, very different from _my _relationship with her." _Then, Clark added, _"Besides, she's not the one who's being lying in _our_ relationship."_

_"But after you tell her the _truth,_ it will be different. She'll understand." _Bruce insisted.

_"No, Bruce. I can't. Give it a rest." _Clark told him _"I haven't seen you tell _any _of your girlfriends your secrets."_

_"That's different and you know it."_

_"Whatever." _Clark Kent gulped some more. _"Another one, please?" _He asked, probably to the bartender. _"And another one for my friend here."_

_"No, thanks. I still have to work tonight."_

_"Just bring him another one, ok?" _Clark repeated to the bartender.

_"You forget your tolerance to alcohol is different from mine, don't you?"_ The billionaire sighed. _"But fine. I'll drink with you. How often do you get to drink beer with the boy-scout."_

Lois noticed it wasn't the first time Bruce referred to him as 'boy-scout'. She found it interesting. But thinking about it, Clark did behave like a boy-scout. She didn't even know he drank! Which brought her back to all the things she apparently didn't know about Clark Kent.

_"Martha all right?"_ Bruce continued now in a different tone.

_"Sure, you know mom."_ Clark said, while Lois wondered how in the world Bruce Wayne knew Clark Kent's mother! _"She has a… boyfriend now."_

The sound from Bruce's silent laughter could still be heard loud and clear in Lois' ear. _"And what do you think about Ben?"_ Bruce Wayne asked.

_"I don't know why I pretended you wouldn't know about my mom and Ben."_

_"You _did_ tell me to look after her when you left."_

_"I did."_ Clark sighed. _"And I thank you, but… Ben?"_

Now Bruce laughed loudly, he couldn't contain himself. _"What did you want me to do? Make him disappear? The guy cleared just fine. He's clean. Nothing that could harm your mother… _or _you_. _In my humble opinion, he could carry your secret with your mom to the grave."_

_"I'm not telling Ben about me, are you _crazy_?"_ Clark gasped.

Now, what damn secret was Clark keeping that even his _mother_ had to lie for him! What had she missed! All those years working together and she had never suspected anything wrong. It made Lois wonder where he had gone exactly. Why five years? What did he have to do in five years? She cursed at herself for giving all those postcards to Jimmy before reading them. Now she _needed_ to know all about Clark Kent's sabbatical trip.

_"What the hell happened to you out there, Kent?"_ Bruce kept talking, _"Stop being selfish…"_

_"Selfish?"_ Clark sounded surprised.

_"Yes. Selfish. I understand that Ben's not your father, but you can't expect your mother to live alone, not being able to tell anybody the biggest secret in the world, and maintain her sanity. It can be a little tiresome."_

The biggest secret in the world? It seemed impossible to believe that Clark Kent could be the protector of the biggest secret in the world. And now she was supposed to believe he shared it with Bruce Wayne and Mamma Kent? Lois took the headpiece out of her ear and looked at it. It actually occurred to her that it may be transmitting information from another dimension. Which was a crazy theory, of course.

Without wasting another minute, she put it back on.

_"-ther, but I just don't feel comfortable sharing. I'm not even sure if I should tell Lois."_

She gulped at the thought of Clark Kent considering telling her what he'd been hiding.

_"See? I knew you would tell her!"_ Bruce sounded excited.

_"I didn't say I would, I said I'm considering if I should."_ Clark repeated. _"What's gotten into you? You were right when you said you should be the one acting dark and moody."_ There was a pause. _"Don't tell me you…"_

_"No."_

_"Selina?"_

There was a pause again. _"Trust issues."_

_"Trust?"_

_"Yeah. Pretty much Alfred and you here are the only people I trust."_

_"But I thought you and Selina…"_

_"Long story."_

_"Which I'm feeling it's something you don't want to talk about tonight."_

_"And read about it tomorrow in the front page of the glorious Daily Planet? Forget it!"_

They both laughed, drank and were silent again.

_"Thanks, Bruce."_ Clark said.

_"You owe me."_ Bruce played. _"There _is_ an apartment I wanted you to see."_

Now this was enough! Why was Bruce Wayne friends with Clark Kent!? If she were a cat, then curiosity would have killed her a long time ago.

_"You don't need to do that, Bruce."_

_"I know." _ He played. _"It's not for free. You have to earn it."_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"I'll tell you about it on our way to Gotham."_

_"What… _now_?" _Clark exclaimed. Lois gasped with him. It was almost nine o'clock and Gotham was hours away driving. Then she thought better of it. It was Bruce Wayne… he probably had a private plane or helicopter or… She felt her stomach turn. This was one source she would never steal from Clark Kent.

She listened as Bruce insisted on paying the bill. Then heard them out the bar they had been sitting in and out into the street. After that, Clark said, "_I'd say a race, but I guess we both know who the winner will be._"

"_Funny, Kent. Very funny._"

Suddenly, Lois heard silence. Not static, just silence. What had happened? Where had the transmission gone? That damn machine wasn't working again. Damn.

She took her earpiece off and opened one of the drawers, placing it inside and under a few papers that were in it, as if to hide it. Richard rarely used their office at home, so it would be safe to leave it there.

Going upstairs to bed, she thought of something… she would at least interview Bruce Wayne.

To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4: An Appointment

Chapter 4 – An appointment

Chapter 4 – An appointment

"Bruce Wayne, please." She said as she watched Clark typing on his keyboard. Lois bit the tip of her pen as she called, narrowing her eyes and wondering how Clark Kent had gone and back from Gotham City in such a short time.

"Who's calling?" The woman on the other end asked.

"Lois Lane, Daily Planet."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Lane, but Mr. Wayne is in a meeting and he's not very fond of the press."

"Just tell him I called." Lois said, watching Clark. "I'll leave you my number."

She hung up, and when she did, the most unusual thing happened. Clark stopped typing and turned around to face her, he smiled shyly and waved. Lois couldn't help but fake a calm smile herself and force her hand up to wave back. Her heart was beating like crazy and she could do nothing else but stand up and walk to the ladies' room as fast as her legs could take her.

Luckily, the restroom was empty, so she locked herself in a stall and sat on the toilet, trying to control her excitement. She hadn't been there for over five minutes when she heard someone opening the door.

"Lois?" It was Louise, one of her coworkers. "Lois, are you in there?"

She didn't want to answer, but that would be a stupid move. She tried her most normal tone and said, "Yes, Louise, what is it?"

"I think you better come answer the phone." The woman said, her voice a little alarmed. "It's Bruce Wayne."

If her heart had been beating fast, it was surprising it was still inside her chest as she heard this. But she was Lois Lane, Pulitzer Prize winner, so she pulled herself together and unlocked the stall.

"Of course," She said as she passed Louise and stepped out of the ladies' room, "I was expecting his call."

Not able to resist, she turned to Clark's desk, but found it empty. She didn't find that a bit alarming, so she ignored it and concentrated on what she would tell Bruce Wayne.

Picking up the phone, she exhaled one last time and began, "Mr. Wayne?"

"Good morning, Ms. Lane." She heard the familiar voice on the other end, "I must confess your call was unexpected and I admit I am a bit… surprised. I am not often surprised. What can I do for you?"

"First of all, I want to thank you for returning my call."

"Hey, any friend of Clark's is a friend of mine, and he speaks of you regularly." He said, "Not that he _needs_ to, your articles speak for themselves."

It startled her that he had revealed his affiliation with Clark so freely. She didn't even notice the compliment as she replied, "Oh, uhm… I didn't know you and Clark _knew_ each other."

"Oh, yes, we go way back." He chuckled, "So, Ms. Lane, what can I do you for?"

She went silent for a moment, wanting to ask him _how_ he had met Clark Kent, _why_ had he joined him for a beer the night before and _when_ had he found out about Jason not being Richard's son!

"Well, Mr. Wayne," Lois said, "I wanted to interview you about your impressions on New Krypton, but I'm guessing Clark Kent already beat me to it, so…"

"Who, Clark?" Bruce Wayne chuckled again, "He knows I don't give interviews. Especially not to _him_."

"Well, maybe if…" She began, but Bruce Wayne didn't seem to be listening.

"But, if _you_ insist, Ms. Lane," Bruce said, "I'll meet you at the Renaissance Hotel at one o'clock for lunch."

"I didn't know you were in Metropolis."

"I'm not." Bruce said, "Don't be late... and don't bring Clark."

"I'll be there, Mr. Wayne."

"Please, call me Bruce."

She blushed, "I'll be there, Bruce."

"Great. I'll see you there, then. Good-bye."

He hung up before she could say another word.

A few minutes later the elevator door opened and Clark Kent stepped out of it, hands in his pockets. Lois pretended not to see him walking straight to her desk.

"Hello, Lois." He said, shifting uneasily. "Busy?"

"I'm always busy, Clark." In truth, she was looking up information about Bruce Wayne on Google, a screen she had minimized immediately. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Uhm, well," He looked nervous… and he _should_ be too, now that Lois knew his life was apparently a lie! "I wanted to take you out to lunch today. I-If it's okay with Richard and… you're not doing anything else, of course."

"For your information, I don't need to ask Richard permission to go out to lunch with other people, Clark." She suddenly snapped at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"And I _am_ doing something for lunch already," She said, "I'm having lunch with Bruce Wayne, you know who _that_ is, don't you?"

Her tone was aggressive, but she couldn't help herself. "Yeah. Yes. Everybody knows Bruce Wayne. Millionare playboy from Gotham? Owner of Wayne Enterprises?"

His half smile didn't amuse her. "The one and the same, Clark. Your old buddy, old pal."

Clark stopped in his tracks, as if he wasn't sure if he had heard right. "What?"

"He _told_ me, Clark." She said, leaning back on her chair, "He told me all about how _close_ you were."

"But, I…"

"But _he_ said he would give me an interview and it will be _there_ that I will find out what he _knows_ about you, Clark."

"_Knows_ about me?" Clark was startled, he gulped nervously.

"You heard me. Whatever you think you're hiding, I'll figure it out."

"Lois, _what _are you _talking_ about?" Clark said with an innocent look, but she had heard the last conversation he'd had with his friend the night before and he couldn't fool her. All she did was narrow her eyes and purse her lips.

Just then, her natural radar for Superman heard his name on the television screen above them. She turned around and Clark followed her gaze. _"A few minutes ago," _The newswoman was saying, _"Superman was spotted in Australia, where he helped the people out of a burning building…"_. Lois turned to Clark, who didn't look like he was paying much attention to the scene the news station was showing of Superman flying into an old apartment building in flames.

Seeming to forget what she was talking about, she picked up the phone and started dialing the number for her Australian contact, news needed to be published, and Superman was still hers in _her_ book.

To be continued…


	5. Chapter 5: Lunch and the Front Page

Chapter 5 – Lunch and the front page

It took her several hours to find out the specifics about Superman's rescue overseas. All the time, Clark was on his desk typing away an article that Lois could only assume was about something that had happened in Gotham, since he had spent the night there… or something.

She looked at her computer clock and she realized that if she didn't leave right then, she would be late for her appointment with Bruce Wayne. Without further delay, she took her purse and stormed out of the newsroom.

"I'm so sorry I'm late." She told Bruce Wayne as she sat before him on the table for two he had reserved. Bruce was sipping white wine from a glass and wore what looked like an expensive blue suit.

"I took the liberty of ordering for the both of us," he said, pointing to the kitchen, "I hope you don't mind."

She smiled awkwardly, thinking the busy Mr. Wayne wouldn't have time to wait on a reporter. "Not at all."

Before she could finish settling down, Bruce Wayne cut to the chase, "What do you want to know about New Krypton, Ms. Lane?"

"You know, the usual… your thoughts, things like that."

Bruce smiled while she took out the notepad where she had written a few questions. Some about New Krypton, for cover, and some about Clark Kent.

"Ask away." Bruce said.

She took out her pen and hesitated, "You know," She began, "I didn't know you were friends with Clark. It's actually a bit interesting that you two could be friends… since you are so… _different._"

Bruce smiled again, "With all due respect, Ms. Lane. I do not enjoy reading about me or my acquaintances in Metropolis' top newspaper."

She chuckled, "Oh, no. This isn't part of the interview… Bruce. I'm just curious."

"Why?" He narrowed his eyes.

She raised her shoulders, "Because… well, he's my partner and… he's never mentioned you and… I wonder how it is that you two met."

He leaned closer to her, "What do you know about Clark Kent, Lois?"

"Not much, apparently."

He laughed at this, Lois found it irritating, "Ms. Lane, I know Clark Kent _pretty_ well, and I know this is a conversation he wouldn't want us having."

"And why is that?"

"Let's just say he's a very private person."

"And you know him... _intimately_?" She asked him.

For the last time, he smiled, but he didn't seem happy. Bruce Wayne then shook his head. "No. But I consider him a good friend, and even as I was curious to meet _you_, I'm still not interested in sharing what I know or don't know about him with you. So, that settled, let's talk about New Krypton, shall we?"

Lois Lane sat back, feeling Bruce's intense look upon her she swallowed her pride and tamed her curiosity to focus on the interview at hand.

Lois came back from lunch with an excellent interview, and still shut the door to Perry's office behind her in anger. Perry dropped what he was doing and simply stared at her. "Something bothering you, Lois?"

"It's Clark, chief."

"Clark?" Perry chuckled, amused. "What has he done now?"

"I know how he's stealing my front page."

Perry White's eyes widened. "How?"

"Bruce Wayne, he _knows_ Bruce Wayne!" She dropped the note book in front of her, her scrabbling containing Bruce's interview for Perry to view. "The playboy billionaire invited me to lunch and gave me a wonderful interview about New Krypton… and do you know _why_?"

"Because you are such a great reporter?" Perry hinted.

"_No_! Because he loves his friend Clark Kent so much he decided to do me a _favor!_" She raised her voice now.

"Well, the unreachable Bruce Wayne just gave you an interview which will go on the front page; I don't see why you're complaining." Perry said, throwing the notebook back at her. "You should be thanking Kent, not hating him."

She was definitely not happy, and she realized she didn't even fully comprehend the reason behind her anger. Yes, it had something to do with lies and the knowledge of certain secrets… "Perry, even before Clark left for his long trip, he never could confide in me that Bruce Wayne was his source. Do you know how much time he could have saved us?"

"And this bothers you because…"

"Because he _lied_ to me, Perry! I trusted him and he lied to me."

"Journalists protect their sources. That's not technically a lie." Perry stood up from his chair and walked around his desk until he stopped in front of Lois. Leaning on the desk, he said, "Lois, everybody knows you treat Kent like crap. Since he's been back, you've barely even talked to him. I even assigned him to that blackout incident to help you out, I thought maybe that way you would become partners again. But all I see is that you don't _want_ to be partners with him at all.

"If _I _were Clark Kent, I would do exactly what he's doing now. Making a name of myself out there and forgetting Lois Lane… I'd move on. I actually applaud him."

He wasn't finished, "Now… I sense there's something else going on. Tell me Lois, what is really bothering you?"

She stared at him for a long time, part of her angry, and the other one trying to make sense of the speech she'd just heard. There was indeed something not right, and she could think of only one way to know the truth.

She had to confront Clark Kent.

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6: Revelation

Chapter 6 – Revelation

Chapter 6 – Revelation

Clark Kent was by the printer, waiting for his latest story to come out. Lois saw as he noticed her coming and then how he tried to ignore her. "Clark." She said in the nicest tone possible.

He smiled nervously. "Hey, Lois. How are you?"

"Fine, fine. Everything's fine." She said, forcing a smile. "Listen, Clark…"

"Mmh?" he said, papers in hand.

"I'm sorry about before." She tried to _feel_ the apology to make it more real. "But I would like to take a rain check on that lunch."

"Uhm, I don't know." He said, "I think that…"

She interrupted him, "I get off at six, Clark. I'm buying. Is it a date?"

"A date?" He gave a step back, he was obviously nervous.

"You can't say no. Come on." Lois patted his arm, it was hard and unmovable but she didn't give that a second thought. "Come on, Clark. I owe it to you."

He smiled weakly. "Sure." Clark said, probably feeling something fishy going on. "I guess I don't have other plans."

"Great! See you at six!" She said, walking away, "I'll go tell Richard to babysit Jason for me today and we'll go, Okay?"

"Explain to me _why_ you are going out with Clark again?" Richard White had to ask her one more time. He was packing his things to go. "I thought we would get that babysitter to go to the movies or something tonight."

"Oh, no. She couldn't make it today." The truth was, Lois had forgotten all about that and she hadn't even called the woman. "Maybe tomorrow."

"Maybe we should find ourselves another baby-sitter."

She nodded at this, but changed the conversation again, "So you can watch Jason tonight? I won't be long; I just promised Clark I would listen to his stories about his world travels. I feel I owe it to him… since we were partners for so long and… stuff."

He shook his head, closed his briefcase and was ready to leave. "That _is_ weird. All this time, and I've never really heard you talk about Clark Kent at all."

"Yeah. Well, we were partners, so…" Lois said but noticed Richard expected more. "We were never really close. I don't know much about his personal life," Which wasn't a lie, "and he doesn't know about _mine._" That was a lie.

"Most work relationships are like that."

_Not with us,_ Lois thought, fingering the engagement ring and thinking about her delayed nuptials to Richard White.

He sighed and started to leave. Stopping by the door, Richard turned to kiss Lois' cheek goodbye. "I'll see you later then." Lois said, "Give kisses to Jason."

Richard smiled fondly. "You know it. If you need anything, just call."

"Come on, Clark. Ready?" Lois said with a friendly voice. Clark was already shutting off his computer, producing from his desk an ugly, used, brown suitcase. "What's that?" She asked, a little disgusted.

"My old suitcase." Clark explained, "My dad gave it to me on my fourteen birthday. I still have it."

"And why do you have it here?"

"Because I'm moving into my new apartment today. After dinner I'm going there for the first time. Nice, uh?" He offered a half smile which felt genuine.

Lois figured that was why Clark hadn't seemed too excited about their dinner date at first. He was about to break into the apartment Bruce Wayne had talked to him about the night before.

"I thought you already _had_ an apartment."

"No." Clark told her, a little ashamed, "It's been hard finding one with all the commotion of Superman returning and then New Krypton and the earthquake. But I finally have a place to call home again."

Her stomach churned hearing that, knowing perfectly well how he had come to find said apartment. "Well, lucky you. I'm glad you found a place to live now."

"Thanks, Lois." Clark said, starting to walk to the elevator. "Where do you want to go, then?"

"I know just the place." She said as the elevator's door opened and they stepped inside.

It was a Greek restaurant Lois was sure Clark didn't know. She remembered that it had opened only a few years ago and Clark had been world traveling then. "Nice place." Clark exclaimed, taking the menu in his hands, "Very personal, I think."

Lois thought it was an accurate description for it. The restaurant was divided into small booths closed by half walls. A Greek group was playing live in the background and the lights were already half lit. This would make for their conversation very private and interesting.

"I had lunch with Bruce Wayne today." She said after the waiter had taken their order.

"Yes. You told me." For the first time Lois noticed Clark was feeling a little vulnerable, they hadn't sat together so openly since back in the day of their partnership. Things had been very different then.

"He said some very interesting things there." Lois continued.

"I bet. He's very… impressive, isn't he?" Clark avoided her eyes.

"And he told me you two are very good friends."

As she said this, Clark blushed. "We know each other, yes." He fixed his glasses, "But only in the professional level."

"No." She corrected him bluntly, "He didn't say that." Lois watched for Clark's reaction. "He actually said you were close friends and he knew you better than most. He said…" She paused for effect, "… he wouldn't give interviews to you so your friendship wouldn't be affected." Not literally, but that had been her understanding of it.

"Uhm, yeah. We _are_ friends." Clark said now, as if he had suddenly changed his mind. "But I don't want to talk about Bruce Wayne, if you don't mind."

"_I_ do." She stated. "In fact, that's the only thing I want to talk about."

Clark looked more than uncomfortable. "Lois, I…" He placed the napkin on the table and hinted to leave.

"Sit down, Clark. Please." She insisted. "There are some things I need to know and I think I deserve the answers. Don't you agree?" Clark didn't answer immediately; he just kept silent for a moment, sat down again and sighed.

"Lois… whatever you're thinking, you…"

"How do you know Jason is not Richard's son?" She blurted out.

This had clearly come as a bomb to Clark. His first reaction was of shock, his mouth dropped open and he looked at her surprised. "What are you talking about?"

"Please, don't insult my intelligence."

"I'm not, but…"

"You _do_ know Jason is not Richard's, don't you?" It took him some time; he clearly was fighting his decision of what to say. Finally, he nodded. "How do you know, Clark?"

"Lois, please understand…"

But she wouldn't let him finish, she wouldn't let him answer, "Do you know who his father is? Don't lie to me, Clark. Please." Her eyes watered and she had to hold the tears back. Once again, Clark nodded, he looked ashamed, "How do you know? I have never told anyone." Well, not entirely true, she had told Superman when he was in the hospital, but she was sure Superman would _never_ tell _anyone_ that, especially not Clark Kent.

"It doesn't matter how I know, Lois."

The tears were flowing, she couldn't help it. "Yes, it matters. Tell me, how do you _know_?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why?" She was crying like a little girl now and she hated herself for it. "_Why_ can't you tell me? Is that what you and your pal Bruce Wayne do? Spy on people?"

"No, we…"

"Are you in some sort of secret society?"

"It's not like that Lois, I…"

"Then I don't understand! How can you _know?_ Don't you see, Clark? If you _know_, then God knows how many people out there know and that could get Jason _killed!_" Has she stopped whispering?

Clark raised his hands, trying to calm her down. "Please try to calm down, Lois. Jason's secret is safe."

"I _can't _calm down!"

"I swear, nobody else knows." He reassured her.

"How can you be sure? You found out _somehow_. People out there may already know about…"

"Lois, please, I know because…" He swallowed hard, knowing that once he said it, he would realize it had been a mistake. "Because you told me."

The world froze, but the revelation didn't compute in her brain. He had to be lying to her again. "I never told anyone."

"You told _someone_." Clark said, looking down. "You told _me._"

"No, I didn't." She had only told one person. Only one. "I would remember it, Clark. I didn't tell you. In fact, I have only told the truth to Jason's father… and that would be…"

She stopped; she didn't want to say _his_ name in a public place.

"That would be… _me._" Clark completed her sentence. Still she didn't understand what he had just told her. Her brain was all mixed up with emotion that it took her longer to process his words. "I'm sorry, Lois. I didn't want you to find out like this."

"What are you _talking _about?" Lois still hadn't gotten it. "You're not the father, you're…"

"I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to tell you and now…" Clark said, "…maybe this wasn't the right place. But you were so distraught that I didn't know how to handle it."

"Clark, I never told you who the _father_ is!" Lois said again, the information still not completely assimilated.

Finally, Clark leaned over, taking his glasses off. "At the hospital, Lois. I was unconscious… and you told me Jason was _mine_."

Her hands went straight to her mouth. "You!" She gasped. "You're…"

"No more lies, Lois." Clark said, placing his glasses back where they belonged, covering his blue eyes. "And I am really sorry. But at least now you know that Jason's secret is safe."

At that precise moment, the waiter came in with their order. He placed several plates, big and small, on the table. He served Lois a glass of red wine and brought Clark a cold glass into which he poured a bottled Greek beer.

"Enjoy." The man said, leaving them alone again.

They both stared at the food in front of them. "I'm not hungry." Lois said; her eyes red and puffy from the tears.

"Do you want me to go?" Clark offered.

"No." She said, not daring to look at him yet. Instead, she simply got up and left, without even saying good-bye.

To be continued…


	7. Chapter 7: Richard

Chapter 7 – Richard

Chapter 7 – Richard

Lois opened the door to their house with dried tears on her cheeks, her eyes and nose red and her lips swollen. Richard had been working on his laptop in the living room and when he turned around to meet her, he immediately put his computer down and ran to her.

"What happened?" He asked concerned, holding her arms.

"Where's Jason?" She asked, instead.

"Asleep. It's almost 10 o'clock."

She had no idea it was that late. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"What's wrong, Lois?" Richard asked, now holding her close to him, the tears had begun again. "Please tell me what's wrong; I've never seen you like this. Did _Clark_ do something…?"

"I know who Jason's father is now." She blurted out and he backed away instantly.

"What?" He looked angry, he frowned and Lois felt it was right then that she would lose him. "Wait a minute… I'm _not_ his father?" She shook her head. "But I thought that…"

"I'm sorry."

"Lois, look at me." She wouldn't. "Look at me and tell me that Jason is my son."

She did. She looked at him, but she knew she couldn't tell him what he wanted to hear. She realized she couldn't pretend with him any longer and she had to tell him the truth. So all she could do was shake her head and let the tears flow free. "I am _so_ sorry, Richard. At first I _did _think he was yours, but then…"

He shook her a little. "When did you find out he wasn't?"

_No more lies._ That's what Clark had said. "About a year ago." She confessed.

"But, how…? And you didn't tell me?" He questioned her, releasing her and giving a step back.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know _how _to tell you and then his father he…"

Lois realized it had dawned on him. He knew, Richard knew who the father was. "Oh, my God. It's Clark Kent? That's what you wanted to talk with him over dinner?"

"No. I-" It certainly wasn't what she wanted to talk to Clark Kent about over dinner. She didn't even know what _was_ thatshe would find out over dinner. And what explanation could she give Richard if she had revealed she had known about it for months now? Surely she couldn't explain that she had seen Jason lifting his bed like it was one of his toys one day. That would mean she would willingly betray Clark Kent and the secret he so fervently protected. Her mouth dried and she looked at him with tears in her red eyes.

"I am…" Richard began, but there were no words. "I'm sorry, Lois… but I-I need to leave." Now it was _him_ storming out of the room. Without another word, he took his coat; he took his keys and slammed the door behind him.

Lois, who had once had the perfect life, now found herself… alone.

To be continued…


	8. Chapter 8: Once Again

Chapter 8 – Once Again

Lois Lane cried for a long time. She imagined Jason was sound asleep in his warm bed while she did. Her son, who had been conceived with Clark Kent, not with Superman, like she had thought. Clark Kent and Superman… the same person. It was still troubling thinking of them as the same person now. She had had both of his identities so clearly identified before. Her world had been turned upside down in so many ways that she didn't know what was real anymore.

Not daring to disturb her son's sleep, she hid herself in the place where everything had started: the study. Sitting down, she opened the drawer where the earpiece was hiding and put it on again.

"-_nothing, Clark, I swear."_ It was Bruce Wayne, and he didn't sound happy. The voice now came softer, as if coming from a distance as if Clark was far away. Or maybe just his jacket was far away. How odd she found the coincidence of catching the two of them talking again. Maybe it was a sign.

_"Bruce, she knew things she shouldn't have. She knew that _I_ knew Jason was my son. How could she have known that?"_

_"You're the one with super-hearing, not me."_

_"You're the _detective."Clark said using a sarcastic tone.

There was a moment of silence. Lois thought the device was broken again like before, only now there wasn't static.

_"So she just ran away…? I mean, after you…"_ Bruce asked.

_"Yes. I knew this was a bad idea from the start."_ Clark explained, now calmer. _"I knew she would be angry just by the fact that I had held the secret from her for so long."_

_"I really thought that…"_

_"That she would come running into my arms?"_ Clark said, _"See, this is what you don't understand. If I had stayed just as 'Clark' then at least I would still see her from time to time. At least they would let me babysit Jason once in a while and I could get to know him. But now, God knows what she's thinking of me."_

_"But you _love_ her. She should see that."_

_"I _betrayed _her. That's what she'll see." _ Clark sounded defeated as he spoke. Lois felt now more confused than ever, but she just sat there and listened to another conversation she shouldn't be hearing. _"I guess I'll give her some time. _Then_ I'll decide what to do, but the game is in her hands."_

_"Don't talk like that. The important thing is that now you two have no secrets." _Bruce said. _"What I still wonder is… how _did_ she know? And you're right; she called me the morning _after_ I saw you first since you came back. That's odd."_

_"It is, isn't it?"_

_"Maybe…" _Bruce began, _"What if…?"_ Silence, Lois suddenly panicked, thinking they would discover that she'd been listening, what if…? _"What if she could _hear_ us?"_

Oh, no.

_"Hear us? How?"_

Lois looked around, knowing they were about to discover her breach of their privacy.

_"Wait. Be quiet for a minute."_ Clark said, and then another silence, Lois' heart sped as it always did when she knew she was doing something wrong. _"Oh, n-"_

"Damn it." She took the ear piece off and shut it down for the first time since she had placed the bug in Clark's jacket. It was too late. Not a moment too soon, she heard the phone ring. It was right next to her and it startled her. "Hello?" She picked up frantically.

"Ms. Lane, this is Bruce Wayne. I just thought I should give you a heads up." The voice on the other end said.

"What?" But the answer to that question came immediately.

"Hello, Lois." In front of her, wearing jeans, sneakers and a lose shirt stood Clark Kent, his glasses still on, even if they both knew he didn't need them. Startled, Lois dropped the phone and fell on top of the desk.

"Clark." She gasped. "What are you doing here?"

He raised his hand and opened his fist. On his palm, the device that had rested in his pocket for so long appeared. "Is this yours?"

"Uh, I, uhm…" She composed herself, took the hair out of her eyes slowly. "It is, thank you." She reached to him and took the device. Then she repeated, "What are you doing here?"

"For someone that has just invaded my privacy the question is a little ironic, don't you think?"

_Is he mad?_ She thought, _well, serves him well for lying to me! _"I'm a reporter, that's what I do."

"I'm a reporter too, in case you haven't noticed, and what you did is illegal."

She suddenly felt so ashamed. She had known since the beginning it was wrong, but she had done it anyway. She sat down, not knowing what to do or say. "I'm sorry I just… wanted to know."

"Know what?" Clark asked, bewildered. "I did _nothing_ to you."

That had been the wrong thing to say. "_Nothing?_" She looked into his eyes in anger. "How can you call leaving me with your child in my womb _nothing!"_

"I didn't know you were pregnant! Do you honestly think I would have left if I had known?"

"How the hell should _I_ know? Apparently you are living a double life, right in front of my eyes. If that's not a big _lie_, then I don't know _what_ is! I don't really know who you _are_, do I?"

Clark gave a step forward, pointing at himself. Lois didn't move from her spot, even if he frightened her a little by the way he was acting. "You know perfectly well who _I_ am, my name is Clark Kent, I grew up in Kansas, I'm a reporter, you even know my _mom_. And yes, I'm from another planet, but now you know that too, don't you? What difference does it make? You know both sides of me and they are the same person. How can you say you don't know who I am if you know me better than anyone?"

"For one, Clark Kent would never raise his voice at me!" She gave a step forward, as well.

"And Lois Lane would never _spy_ on me!" Clark said, getting closer.

"You _lied_ to me, Clark! You slept with me and I didn't even know it was really _you!"_ The tears threatened to come out again. "We have a _son_ together!"

"I did that because I _love_ you!" Clark was almost shouting now, "That's what people do when they're in love!"

"Well, I loved you, too!" Lois said, the tears falling.

Clark stood there, silent, having heard what she had said. "Well, I still do." He gave a step back, taking his glasses off. "Good night."

He turned to leave, heading for the window which remained opened. "Clark, wait." Lois said and Clark stopped. She didn't really know why she had stopped him, all she knew was she didn't want him to go. "Don't… go."

"Why? It's clear you don't want me here." Clark certainly didn't sound happy.

"I'm sorry." Lois said, "I didn't mean what I… said."

"Well, I meant what _I_ said." Clark told her. "I still love you, but I know you love Richard and…"

"Not like I love you." She blurted out. It had been true, but she had said it without thinking. Clark frowned in confusion. "What you just revealed to me tonight is… well, I don't know what to think."

He shook his head, "Maybe you love Superman, but not Clark." He suggested.

"Didn't you say you're the same person?" Lois replied, smiling a little.

"Yes, but not to you… not yet."

"Maybe I just need some time."

Clark started to smile, but then he shook his head. "But what about Richard, it's not fair to him. I'm not that kind of guy. He loves you and he's the father Jason knows and…"

"Yes, about that…" Lois lowered her eyes. "There are some complications."

"Complications?"

She scoffed, "For someone with super-hearing, you sure don't hear a lot of conversations."

"I don't go around listening to other people just for kicks." She knew perfectly well what he had meant, but let it pass. "Besides, I had a friend over."

She smiled when she heard this, "Bruce Wayne?"

"Yeah, Bruce. He's a good friend, even when I don't always approve of his methods." Clark declared, rolling his eyes.

"That's some friend."

"I trust him." Clark sighed. "And Richard? He's not here, I realize."

"No." Lois said, "The truth is, I didn't know Jason was yours until he started doing these amazing things. But by then he was about four years old and all that time I had thought Richard was the father."

"You didn't happen to mention that _I_'m the father, did you?" Clark asked, concerned.

Lois nodded. "I'm sorry, I was confused and he came to me and I just said it. I wasn't really thinking and now…"

"But, wait a minute… who exactly does he think is the father?"

She laughed, knowing she shouldn't, but his question had been so sudden. "No, he thinks Clark's the father, _you_. Don't worry; I'm not yelling to the world that I know your big secret."

"Thank you." She saw him relax.

After a silent moment, Lois said, "This is nice."

"What is?"

"Just talking to you. I like it."

He smiled gently. "The feeling's mutual. That's why I love you."

"Why?" She wondered out loud. "I'm a terrible person. I lie and _listen to other people's conversations, _and I'm bossy and yell at you a lot. I can't see how you can like that."

"I don't know either. You're just my type, I guess." He smiled. "All I know is you drive me crazy."

Finally, she walked towards him; she opened her arms and let him hold her. He did, not thinking twice, and in turn let her rest her head on his chest. "Thank you for telling me the truth."

After she said that, he kissed her head. "Thank you for not freaking out like I thought you would."

She laughed silently, but he didn't let her go. "You don't call _that_ freaking out?"

"A little." Clark replied, "You should have seen what I had pictured in my mind."

"That bad, uh?"

Now it was him who chuckled. "Well, after all, it was a great deal not saying good-bye. But if you think about it now, I _did_ say good-bye. Remember?"

She finally faced him. "What? No, I don't remember."

"I did. I walked to your desk and told you I was leaving the Planet." She tried to remember the moment, but couldn't. "You really don't remember?"

"No, sorry."

"I guess we're even then." He smiled and then suddenly seemed distracted.

"What is it?"

"I gotta go."

"Where?"

He looked at her, almost like not knowing how to explain it to her. "I hear… things. All the time, remember?"

"Oh, right. Someone out there needs your help?"

"Yes."

"That's all right. Go." She told him. "I'll see you tomorrow at work."

He smiled when he heard that. "Good luck… with Richard."

"Thank you. Good night."

Next, she saw him walk to the window and lift off, in a blink of an eye, he was gone. Lois stood there, watching the night before her and wondering what would become of them. How would their relationship evolve? And most importantly, how would Jason take it when he found out Richard was not his father? Would he accept Clark? Would they still be happy after all that would happen next?

She didn't know. What she did know was that it was late, and she was tired, and there was nothing else she could do to fix the world.

To be continued


End file.
